Returns & refunds
Every shop order ships straight from a supplier's warehouse, so our return rules follow the warehouse's rules. Here's exactly how it works.
Effective October 25, 2026. This policy covers orders from the Error Code Helpline online shop. Parts we quote for you by email follow the Parts section of our Terms of Service.
At a glance
- Changed your mind? Orders cancel free until we place them with the warehouse, usually within 1 business day.
- Unopened items can be returned within 7 or 14 days of delivery. Each product page shows the window and any restocking fee.
- Final sale: chemicals, cleaners, sealants and test kits; electrical parts; pool cleaners; spa pillows and cover lifters. These can only come back if they arrive damaged, defective or not what you ordered.
- Damaged or wrong item? Email us within 48 hours of delivery with photos and we'll fix it at no cost to you.
- Refunds go back to your original payment method.
Cancelling an order
A person on our team places every order with the warehouse, usually within 1 business day of payment. Until then, email help@errorcodehelpline.com with your order number (it starts with SO-) and we'll cancel it and refund you in full. If the warehouse already has your order, we'll ask them to stop it. If they charge a cancellation fee (at most 3% of the item price), it comes out of your refund. Once an order ships, it's handled as a return.
Returning an unopened item
- Email help@errorcodehelpline.com within the return window shown on the product page. The window counts from the delivery date on your tracking. Include your order number, the item and the reason. Please don't send anything back yet.
- We get a return authorization (RMA) from the warehouse and email you the return address and instructions, usually within 2 business days. Returns go back to the warehouse, not to us, and packages sent without an RMA are refused.
- Ship the item within 5 days of getting the instructions, with tracking. We recommend insuring large or expensive items.
To qualify, the item has to be unopened, unused and uninstalled, in its original packaging with all manuals and parts, and in condition to resell. For filter cartridges, liners and covers, that means the carton is still sealed and the item hasn't been unfolded.
What a return costs
- Return shipping is paid by you. If the warehouse sends a prepaid label, its cost comes out of your refund.
- Restocking fee: some warehouses charge 15% or 25% of the item price. The product page shows the fee, or "no restocking fee". We only pass on what the warehouse charges us, never more.
- Original shipping isn't refunded. If your package shipped free, the warehouse may deduct what it paid to ship it. We'll tell you the amount before you send anything back.
- Refused or undeliverable packages are treated as returns: shipping both ways and any restocking fee come out of the refund.
None of these costs apply when we or the warehouse made the mistake (see below).
Items that can't be returned
Unless they arrive damaged, defective or not what you ordered, these are final sale and marked that way on the product page:
- Chemicals and water care, cleaners, sealants, lubricants, cements, paint, and test kits and strips.
- Electrical parts, such as pumps, motors, heaters and heater parts, control boards, timers, lights, ozonators, blowers, salt cells, transformers and sensors. This matches our Parts policy.
- Pool cleaners (robotic, battery and automatic).
- Spa pillows and headrests, and cover lifters.
- Some above-ground pool parts (the product page says so).
- Anything that's been opened, installed, used or altered, and special-order or made-to-measure items.
Damaged, defective or wrong items
Please check your delivery when it arrives. If something was damaged in shipping or isn't what you ordered, email help@errorcodehelpline.com within 48 hours of delivery with photos of the item, the box and the shipping label, and don't install it. We'll send a replacement or a full refund, including shipping, and arrange any return at no cost to you. No restocking fee, and this applies to final-sale items too.
If an item doesn't work right out of the box, tell us before you install it, within the return window, and we'll sort it out with the warehouse. After that, the manufacturer's warranty applies (see below).
Refunds
We refund your original payment method (card, Apple Pay or Google Pay) within 2 business days after the warehouse confirms it received and accepted your return. Warehouses usually check returns within about a week of receiving them, and your bank can take another 3 to 10 business days to show the refund. Your refund covers the item price and the sales tax on it, minus any restocking fee or other costs listed above. We'll email you when it's on its way.
Exchanges
We can't swap items directly. Return the eligible item and place a new order for the one you want. If we sent the wrong item, we'll send the right one at no cost.
Warranty
Products carry the manufacturer's warranty only, and warranty claims go through the manufacturer. Email help@errorcodehelpline.com with your order number and photos and we'll help you file the claim and reach the right people. Warranties don't cover labor or installation costs.
Not sure a part fits? Ask before you buy: email us or ask our AI helper. The best return is the one you never need.
Questions
Email help@errorcodehelpline.com with your order number.